How to Connect Satellite Cable to the TV

DirecTV and Dish Network are the two leading providers in the country for satellite television. Satellite programming can be picked up in nearly any location, making it a good choice if you live in a rural or remote part of the country. Once you have the satellite antenna (dish) set up and the satellite cable running from the dish to the room where you want to set up your TV, you need to connect the signal to your TV via a satellite receiver. This process requires a few cables and a little of your time.

Things You'll Need

Make sure that you have already hooked up the satellite signal from the dish to the wall plate in the room where you want to be watching TV. Use a coaxial cable to connect the satellite signal from the wall plate to the back of the satellite receiver. You should plug the cable into the "satellite in" jack (usually marked "SAT IN") on the receiver.

If you have an HD television, an HD receiver and an HDMI cable, you will be able to set up an optimal HD satellite connection. Use your HDMI cable to connect the HD receiver and the HD TV, plugging the cable into the "HDMI" jacks of each unit.

If you do not have an HDMI cable, you can use a component video cable (green, blue and red) plus an audio cable (red/white) to connect your HD TV and HD satellite reciever. Connect your component cables to the "audio/video out" jacks (usually marked “A/V OUT”) on the back of the receiver and the "audio/video in" jacks (usually marked “A/V IN”) on the back of the HD TV. Make sure that the different colored cables are connected to the jacks of the corresponding color (blue to blue, green to green, white to white, etc.).

If you do not have an HDMI cable or a component cable, you can connect your TV to your satellite receiver with an RCA audio/video cable (red, white and yellow). Connect the cables to the "audio/video out" jacks (usually marked "AV OUT") on the back of the receiver and the "audio/video in" jacks (usually marked "AV IN") on the back of the TV. Match the different colored jacks to the corresponding plugs (red to red, yellow to yellow, white to white) .

If you do not have an HDMI cable, a component cable, or an RCA audio/vide cable, you can connect your satellite receiver to your television using a second coaxial cable. Connect one end of the cable to the "satellite out" jack (usually marked "SAT OUT") on the back of the receiver and connect the other to the "antenna in" jack (usually marked "ANT IN") on the back of your TV.